Assembly to reject fresh bills six months before tenure lapses

To avoid controversy, the Lagos State House of Assembly has resolved to stop accepting new bills six months before the expiration of its tenure.

Its decision may not be unconnected with the controversy generated by the passing of the Coroner law by the sixth Assembly.

At the first Eid-El-Adha get together organised by the Assembly’s Muslim Community, Deputy Speaker Kolawole Taiwo said: “Because of the controversy generated by the Coroner law, the House has made it a point of duty not to accept bills six months before the expiration of the administration.”

Insisting that the House followed due process in passing the Coroner law, Taiwo said the bill was discussed in haste because of time constraint.

A participant at the event had complained that the public were not given “adequate access” to the bill and subsequent debate on it by the Assembly.

“But despite the time constraint, members of the public especially religious groups were allowed to make their contributions during the public hearing on the coroner bill and a thorough job was done,” the deputy speaker said.

In a lecture entitled: “The roles of Muslim lawmakers in social engineering”, Chairman, House Committee on Judiciary and Public Petitions, Hon. Sanai Agunbiade, said the lawmakers’ roles were generally representative, adding that they should strive to make laws that would be beneficial to their constituents.

He said as Muslim lawmakers, they must monitor the executive without fear or favour.

Agunbiade also charged his colleagues to assist the executive by pointing out its mistakes in order to promote love and understanding.

He said lawmakers should recognise that they were elected by votes from their constituents, urging them to subsume their interests to others during their stay in the Assembly.

He also advised Muslim legislators to abide by the injunctions of Allah while carrying out their duties, saying: “any Muslim lawmaker who knows the injunctions of Allah and does not follow them is not a true Muslim.”